Slovak Priest Says Jews to Blame for Holocaust-Era Hate
A Catholic priest in Slovakia sparked outrage by blaming the Jews for the hatred against them during the Holocaust and warned the Roma are following suit.
Emil Floris leveled the accusation last month during a ceremony in Cadca, located 120 miles northeast of the capital Bratislava, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising against Nazi Germany and the collaborationist government.
“From all over Europe, they took the Jews to concentration camps. And do you know why? Because there was hatred toward them, but those who are hated often do it to themselves,” Floriš said, according to the news website zpravy.e15.cz.
“Now there is a risk for some Roma. And you know why? Because of abuse of the system and the kindness of others,” he added. Roma also are known as Gypsies.
The Federation of Jewish Communities in Slovakia said in a statement posted on its website last week that Floris’ statement “contained untruths and anti-Semitic clichés, diminishes the suffering of the Jewish people during the time of the First Slovak Republic and insults the memory of victims.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30